History of Hockey at Wellington
For much of its history, Wellington was a school for girls and hockey has always been one of the most popular sports. Former pupils have happy memories of playing hockey on the Old Racecourse in Ayr and the camaraderie of Wellington teams is the basis of many a lifelong friendship. The school has been co-educational since 1995, but the popularity of hockey continues, and a growing number of boys are enjoying this skilful and fast-paced sport.
The days of playing on the Old Racecourse came to an end when the school installed a state-of-the-art all-weather surface at its new Doonside campus in 2008. The construction of a pavilion with changing rooms and hospitality facilities made this one of the most attractive hockey venues in Scotland.
This is one of only a few all-weather hockey surfaces available to clubs and there are wide community benefits. Ayr Hockey Club use the pitch for both training and matches throughout the season and visitors enjoy the rural setting, with excellent indoor changing facilities and generous parking.
Hockey is not the only sport played on the all-weather surface at Doonside. This multi-sport facility benefits boys and girls of all ages, who use it extensively for training and games during lessons and after school activities. It is also an ideal venue for our Junior School Sports Day, which includes running races, novelty races, junior archery and wide range of other events.
The Goal
The all-weather surface has served us well for more than 15 years, but it is now in need of replacement. Regular maintenance and remediation work have extended its life, but a new pitch is now required. The cost of replacing the surface and upgrading the facility to a high standard is estimated to be around £300k. This is unaffordable for the school at this time, but we are launching this fundraising campaign to bring the cost within reach and allow us to complete this exciting development. It is our aim to commission this work in the summer of 2026, depending on the success of this campaign.
Once complete, the upgraded pitch will support curriculum in physical education, extracurricular sport and competitive fixtures. With the support of our community and corporate partners, this project will deliver a lasting legacy that benefits current and future generations.
Hockey at Wellington
Hockey at Wellington is in excellent health. The number of participants continues to grow and our teams have all enjoyed successful seasons in recent years, with excellent results in both regular fixtures and national cup competitions. In this sport, Wellington really does ‘punch above its weight’.
Keen followers of our social media will know that three current pupils were recently invited to participate in the prestigious Scotland National Hockey Programme. We were also delighted to hear that recent former pupil, Amy Grassom, was selected to play for the Scotland U21 Women Hockey team at the recent Junior World Cup in Santiago. A generation of players has benefited from the facility at Doonside and we are currently considering funding models that will enable us to make it match-ready for the next generation of Wellington players.
Amy Grassom – Former Pupil Testimonial
“Hockey was such a huge part of my time at Wellington and gave me amazing memories. Being part of the team taught me about teamwork, resilience, dedication and how to manage my time – skills that I still use every day at university. The hockey pitch was where we celebrated wins, learned from losses and grew together. I’m pleased to support the fundraising for a new pitch surface, knowing how much it will mean to future pupils who’ll make their own memories playing hockey, just like I did.”
Community Benefit
The all-weather surface at Doonside is home to Ayr Hockey Club, which uses the pitch for training several times each week and for home fixtures throughout the season. The club has approximately 120 members, including a good mix of junior and adult players, both male and female. The number of hockey-specific surfaces in the area is very limited, with at least one local facility now resurfaced and repurposed for football. Wellington School has a proud hockey history and its link with Ayr Hockey Club has helped the sport to thrive in this area of the country, with a disproportionately large number of local players playing for South West Region and participating in national development pathways and programmes. Hockey players throughout this area benefit from having access to our Doonside pitch.
How to get involved
There are a number of ways individuals, organisations, and businesses can support the upgrade of our hockey pitch and help us create a high-quality, long lasting facility for our school and wider community.
Become a Sponsor
Businesses can support the project through one of our sponsorship packages or by discussing a bespoke partnership that aligns with their corporate values and community objectives. Each package offers a meaningful way to support the project while aligning your name or organisation with the future of sport and wellbeing at our school. You can also choose to sponsor a square metre of our pitch. Simply click on your chosen package below to view full details.
Make a Donation
One-off or regular donations of any amount are greatly appreciated and will directly support the pitch upgrade. Every contribution brings us closer to our fundraising goal.
Fundraise for the Project
Individuals, teams and groups can take part in fundraising events or organise their own activities to support the campaign. From sponsored challenges to community events, every effort makes a difference.
Offer In-Kind Support
We welcome offers of goods, services, or expertise that could support the project, such as materials, specialist skills or event support.
Spread the Word
Sharing our fundraising campaign with colleagues, friends and networks helps us reach a wider audience and build momentum within the community.
By getting involved, you will be playing an important role in creating a safe, reliable sporting facility that will benefit our young people for years to come.
Sponsorship Packages
You can support our project through one of the sponsorship packages below. Alternatively if you have a bespoke partnership that aligns with your corporate values and community objectives, please just get in touch.
Sponsor a Square Metre
For £100 per square metre, you can directly support the development of a high-quality playing surface that will enhance sport, wellbeing and opportunities for our young people.
You can sponsor as many square metres as you like, whether you are contributing as an individual, family or organisation. Every square metre sponsored brings us closer to completing this exciting project.
By taking part, you are helping to create a space where pupils can develop teamwork, confidence, and a lifelong love of sport.
If you wish to sponsor a square metre, you can do by clicking the link below:
Join us in building the future of sport in our school – one square metre at a time.
How to Donate
Supporting the upgrade of our hockey pitch is simple and makes a lasting difference to our pupis, teams and wider community.
You can contribute by selecting one of our sponsorship packages using the links below:
If you would like to make a donation outside of our listed packages, or if you’re interested in contributing a bespoke amount, please get in touch with our Finance Team – [email protected] – who will be happy to help arrange this for you.
Every contribution, large or small, helps us move closer to delivering a high-quality, modern hockey facility for our pupils and community to enjoy for years to come.